Charles Melancon on Immigration

Democrat

I have been a staunch hawk on immigration

When asked whether he would apologize for a controversial anti-immigration campaign ad that some groups found offensive, Vitter was quick to offer up an answer. "The one thing in the ad that is offensive is Melancon's votes," said Vitter, saying that
Melancon voted against laws that would clamp down on illegal immigration.

But Melancon maintained he has a strong stance against illegal immigration. "I have been a staunch hawk on immigration," said Melancon.

Supports SCHIP, despite insuring illegal immigrant kids

The SCHIP bill reauthorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program for the next five years, funding it with a 62-cent federal tax on cigarettes. It removed a five-year waiting period, and loosened citizenship requirements.

Melancon voted for the
measure, trying to debunk claims by opponents that it would amount to government-run insurance, health care for illegal immigrants or coverage for high-income families. "Making sure children have health insurance is not only the right thing to do, it's
also much more cost-effective for taxpayers than leaving them uninsured and using the emergency room as a primary-care provider," Melancon said.

Vitter opposed the bill, saying it was disproportionately skewed toward states such as New
York, which has higher incomes for eligibility than Louisiana, he said. In New York, the program's cutoff for a family of four is $88,200. Louisiana taxpayers shouldn't subsidize those states, Vitter said. "It just makes no sense to me," he said.